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It may also be a hazard when found on
surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear,
such as:
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Windows and window sills.
-
Doors and door frames.
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Stairs, railings, banisters, and
porches.
Lead dust can form when lead-based paint
is dry scraped, dry sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted
surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces
and objects
that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when people
vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.
The following two federal standards have
been set for lead hazards in dust:
40 micrograms per square foot (µg/ft2)
and higher for floors, including carpeted floors; 250 µg/ft2 and
higher for interior window sills.
Lead in soil can be a hazard when
children play in bare soil or when people bring soil into the house on
their shoes.
The following two federal standards have
been set for lead hazards in residential soil:
400 parts per million (ppm) and higher in
play areas of bare soil.
1,200 ppm (average) and higher in bare soil in the remainder of the
yard.
The only way to find out if paint, dust and soil lead hazards exist is
to test for them.
The most common methods used:
Lead from paint chips, which you can see,
and lead dust, which you can’t always see, can both be serious
hazards.
Identifying Lead Hazards
You can get your home checked for lead in
one of two ways, or both: A paint inspection tells you the lead
content of every different type of painted surface in your home. It
won’t tell you whether the paint is a hazard or how you should deal
with it. A risk assessment tells you if there are any sources of
serious lead exposure (such as peeling paint and lead dust). It also
tells you what actions to take to address these hazards. Hire a
trained, certified professional who will use a range of reliable
methods when checking your home, such as:
-
Visual inspection of paint condition
and location.
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A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF)
machine.
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Lab tests of paint, dust, and soil
samples.
There are standards in place to ensure
the work is done safely, reliably, and effectively.
Contact your local lead poisoning
prevention program for more information, or call 1-800-424-LEAD for a
list of contacts in your area.
Home test kits for lead are available,
but may not always be accurate. Consumers should not rely on these
tests before doing renovations or to assure safety.
Checking Your Home for Lead
Just knowing that a home has lead based
paint may not tell you if there is a hazard. If you suspect that your
house has lead hazards, you can take some immediate steps to reduce
your family’s risk: If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or
chipping paint. Clean up paint chips immediately. Clean floors, window
frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly. Use a mop or sponge
with warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner made
specifically for lead.
REMEMBER: NEVER MIX AMMONIA AND BLEACH
PRODUCTS TOGETHER SINCE THEY CAN FORM A DANGEROUS GAS.
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Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads
after cleaning dirty or dusty areas.
-
Wash children’s hands often, especially
before they eat and before nap time and bed time.
-
Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles,
pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals regularly.
-
Keep children from chewing window sills
or other painted surfaces.
-
Clean or remove shoes before entering
your home to avoid tracking in lead from soil.
-
Make sure children eat nutritious,
low-fat meals high in iron and calcium, such as spinach and dairy
products.
-
Children with good diets absorb less
lead.
What You Can Do Now To Protect Your
Family
In addition to day-to-day cleaning and
good nutrition: You can temporarily reduce lead hazards by taking
actions such as repairing damaged painted surfaces and planting grass
to cover soil with high lead levels. These actions (called “interim
controls”) are not permanent solutions and will need ongoing
attention. To permanently remove lead hazards, you should hire a
certified lead “abatement” contractor. Abatement (or permanent hazard
elimination) methods include removing, sealing, or enclosing
lead-based paint with special materials. Just painting over the hazard
with regular paint is not permanent removal. Always hire a person with
special training for correcting lead problems—someone who knows how to
do this work safely and has the proper equipment to clean up
thoroughly. Certified contractors will employ qualified workers and
follow strict safety rules as set by their state or by the federal
government. Once the work is completed, dust cleanup activities must
be repeated until testing indicates that lead dust levels are below
the following:
40 micrograms per square foot (µg/ft2)
for floors, including carpeted floors;
250 µg/ft2 for interior windows sills; and 400 µg/ft2 for window
troughs.
Call your local agency (see page 11) for help with locating certified
contractors in your area and to see if financial assistance is
available.
Reducing Lead Hazards In The Home
Removing lead improperly can increase the hazard to your family by
spreading even more lead dust around the house.
Always use a professional who is trained
to remove lead hazards safely.
Take precautions before your contractor
or you begin remodeling or renovating anything that disturbs painted
surfaces (such as scraping off paint or tearing out walls): Have the
area tested for lead-based paint. Do not use a belt-sander, propane
torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based
paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes. Lead
dust can remain in your home long after the work is done. Temporarily
move your family (especially children and pregnant women) out of the
apartment or house until the work is done and the area is properly
cleaned. If you can’t move your family, at least completely seal off
the work area. Follow other safety measures to reduce lead hazards.
You can find out about other safety measures by calling
1-800-424-LEAD. Ask for the brochure “Reducing Lead Hazards When
Remodeling Your Home.” This brochure explains what to do before,
during, and after renovations. If you have already completed
renovations or remodeling that could have released lead-based
paint or dust, get your young children tested and follow the steps
outlined on page 7 of this brochure.
Remodeling or Renovating a Home With
Lead-Based Paint If not conducted properly, certain types of
renovations can release lead from paint and dust into the air.
Drinking water. Your home might have
plumbing with lead or lead solder. Call your local health department
or water supplier to find out about testing your water. You cannot
see, smell, or taste lead, and boiling your water will not get rid of
lead. If you think your plumbing might have lead in it:
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Use only cold water for drinking and
cooking.
-
Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before
drinking it, especially if you have not used your water for a few
hours.
The job. If you work with lead, you could
bring it home on your hands or clothes. Shower and change clothes
before coming home. Launder your work clothes separately from the rest
of your family’s clothes. Old painted toys and furniture. Food and
liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.
Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass, or
refinishing furniture. Folk remedies that contain lead, such as
“greta” and “azarcon” used to treat an upset stomach. Other Sources of
Lead While paint, dust, and soil are the most common lead hazards,
other lead sources also exist.
The National Lead Information Center
Call 1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323) to learn
how to protect children from lead poisoning and for other information
on lead hazards. To access lead information via the web, visit
www.epa.gov/lead and
www.hud.gov/offices/lead/.
For the hearing impaired, call the Federal Information Relay Service
at 1-800-877- 8339 and ask for the National Lead Information Center at
1-800-424-LEAD. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline Call 1-800-426-4791
for information about lead in drinking water. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) Hotline To request information on lead in consumer
products, or to report an unsafe consumer product or a product-related
injury call 1-800-638-2772, or visit CPSC's website at:
www.cpsc.gov.
Health and Environmental Agencies
Some cities, states, and tribes have their own rules for
lead-based paint activities. Check with your local agency to see which
laws apply to you. Most agencies can also provide information on
finding a lead abatement firm in your area, and on possible sources of
financial aid for reducing lead hazards. Receive up- to-date address
and phone information for your local contacts on the Internet at
www.epa.gov/lead or contact the
National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
For More Information
EPA Regional Offices
Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Vermont)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 1
Suite 1100 (CPT)
One Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114-2023
1 (888) 372-7341
Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 2
2890 Woodbridge Avenue
Building 209, Mail Stop 225
Edison, NJ 08837-3679
(732) 321-6671
Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC,
West Virginia)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 3 (3WC33)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 814-5000
Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 4
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 562-8998
Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 5 (DT-8J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3666
(312) 886-6003
Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214) 665-7577
Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 7
(ARTD-RALI)
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7020
Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 8
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
(303) 312-6021
Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 947-4164
Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 10
Toxics Section WCM-128
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-1128
(206) 553-1985
Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding
regulations and lead protection programs.
CPSC Regional Offices
Eastern Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
201 Varick Street, Room 903
New York, NY 10014
(212) 620-4120
Central Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
230 South Dearborn Street, Room 2944
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-8260
Western Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1301 Clay Street, Suite 610-N
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 637-4050
HUD Lead Office
Please contact HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control for information on lead regulations, outreach efforts, and
lead hazard control and research grant programs.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control
451 Seventh Street, SW, P-3206
Washington, DC 20410
Phone: (202) 755-1785
Your Regional CPSC
Office can provide further information regarding regulations and
consumer product safety. If you think your home has high levels of
lead:
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